


Misguided

by QuietDarkness



Series: Simplicity and Complexity (Harrisco) [29]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: M/M, harrisco
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-05
Updated: 2017-07-05
Packaged: 2018-11-28 05:53:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11411589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QuietDarkness/pseuds/QuietDarkness
Summary: Harry figures out how to stop the nanobots affecting Cisco's emotions, and also comes to a conclusion about something he feels they both need. Confronting Camila Riley and her actions has a surprising affect on Harry, proving that sometimes battles can be won with something as small as compassion...'Opposites don't just attract. They catch fire and burn the entire city down.'(Part 29)(Warning, mentions of suicide.)





	Misguided

**Author's Note:**

> If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, call this number, 24/7. You are not alone. The National Suicide Prevention Hotline 1-800-273-8255. There is hope. 
> 
> For other resources, check out the following sites:
> 
> https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/  
> www.suicidepreventionapp.com/  
> www.spsamerica.org/  
> www.linesforlife.org/  
> www.crisistextline.org/

Harry figured out pretty quickly that the idea of using an EMP to negate the nanotech's affects wouldn't work. Electromagnetic shielding on such a scale was impressive, to say the least. But that left him wondering if he could hack into the tech itself, and he soon found a signal to tap into. It gave him all sorts of insight on how the tech actually worked. It was almost Frankenstein level stuff. In theory, it should have allowed for complete control over emotions and hormones. Problem was, tech like this wasn't designed for something so complex. And it resulted in the nano's running wild with their objectives. Without someone in range to control them, they were pretty much having a field day in Ramon's brain. 

The next step should have been relatively simple. Since he was already tapped into the signal that allowed access to the tech's particular wavelength, it should have been easy to just shut them down. But when had anything ever been easy? Turned out it wasn't as quick as typing in a 'stop' command. A kill code had been hardwired into the programming. There was no shutting them off without it. 

So Harry called Wally. 

They needed to find Camila. But neither he nor Caitlin were willing to leave Ramon alone, so Wally was the logical choice with everyone else gone. He'd track down Camila and bring her back to S.T.A.R. Labs. In the meantime, they needed a hacker. And the best one around was Ramon. 

“I don't think I can do this...” he mumbled, his face red, his hands wringing. A moment ago, he'd been excited at the idea. But now, he seemed beyond nervous. “What if I mess it up? What if I make it worse?” He raised wide, brown eyes at Harry who sighed, reaching a hand forward and grabbing both of Cisco's hands firmly.

“You can't. The only thing you're able to access is the kill code. Even if you get it wrong a few hundred times, it won't have an adverse affect.” Harry attempted to reassure him. “Snow and I will be right here. You can do this, Cisco.” Using Ramon's first name seemed to make the shorter man go momentarily still, then he nodded, his lips set in a line before he let out a deep breath.

“You're right.” He nodded again, “I've got this, right?” He slipped his hands out of Harry's hold and sat down, turning toward the keyboard and consoles. “No big deal. Nothing I can't handle.” But his hands just hovered over the keyboard. Harry came up behind him, hands slipping to Ramon's warm shoulders, and he squeezed lightly. 

“You're only feeling this way because of the nanobots. The kill code will make all this stop. You _can_ do this, Ramon.” Harry felt Cisco's whole body shudder for a moment as he sighed. Then he simply put his hands on the keyboard and started working. It took time. Far longer than it probably should have. He and Caitlin had to keep getting Cisco back on track. With his emotions spinning like a top, it was a bit like wrangling a giant toddler. After three hours, Harry was feeling more than a little frazzled, and trying very hard not to show it for Cisco's benefit. Caitlin was a Saint, as far as he was concerned. She never once seemed agitated or impatient. Harry had to give her all the credit, because at this point she was keeping both men steady.

“I... I got it.” Cisco said so softly that Harry hadn't even been sure he'd heard it. He pushed up from the table at the opposite end of the room, however, sliding his chair aside and moving in on Cisco the same time Caitlin did. “It's so simple!” Ramon blurted then, making them jump a little. “It's Fibonacci sequence. I mean, obviously not that whole thing because that goes on forever. And completely not the typical definition.” He chuckled. “But she took the shortest string and doubled it, taking the six middle numbers out of a string of fourteen numbers. 6, 10, 16, 26, 42 and 68. And...” he motioned to the simulations on the screen, an exact replica of the nanotech's code, “Ta da!” He said, hitting the enter key and the simulation showed the tech becoming completely inert. Dead. Harry couldn't help the sigh of relief that exited his whole body. Lungs, throat, mouth, the tension just rushed right out of him and he smiled widely, bending over and gripping Ramon from behind, pressing the side of his face to Cisco's. Ramon responded by laughing and hugging Harry's arm across his chest. Caitlin stood grinning, a hand on Harry's back. 

“Told you that you could do it.” Harry whispered, then kissed Ramon's cheek once before straightening up. “Now let's kill those little bastards.” And kill them they did. They uploaded the kill code to a remote port tapped into the tech's frequency. A few key strokes later and zap. Every last nanobot bit the dust. 

“How do you feel?” Caitlin asked about fifteen minutes later, having finished running her tests, hovering very close to where Cisco was sitting on the gurney. For a moment, he just looked around, glancing from Caitlin to Harry, then he shrugged, smiled lightly and let out a sigh.

“I feel like... me.” He said, then chuckled, grabbing on to Caitlin and tugging her in for a practical bear hug. She yelped in surprise, but happily hugged Ramon back. “So how do we get them out of me?” He asked when he let her go, hopping off the gurney. Caitlin stepped back to give him room.

“They're dead. Without anything to keep them where they are, your body will flush them out on its own.” She responded, glancing over at Harry who was standing in the doorway of the medlab, hands in his pockets, shoulder up against the frame, watching with a calm, almost unreadable expression. He was a lot happier than he was expressing, but only because his mind was now on Camila. And making her pay. He wanted answers. Wanted to know what this had all been for. And why them? Or why Harry, more accurately. It was clear he'd been the target. It was just shitty luck that Cisco had been the one to catch the damn bugs. And Harry was pissed because of it. He was used to people hurting him, taking out their anger and grief on him. It came with the face and the territory, thanks to Thawne. But when the people he loved and cared about were affected by it, the guilt and anger were too palpable to ignore. 

Both Caitlin and Cisco seemed to notice his strange lack of reaction. And Caitlin smiled lightly at Cisco, stepping toward the doorway. “It's late, and I'm going to head home. Try to sleep while I can.” She said sweetly, offering a small wave and grabbing her purse off a counter before slipping past Harry who stepped aside to let her go. It wasn't till she was long gone that Cisco finally came up to him, both hands finding their way to Harry's hips.

“I know that look.” Cisco said quietly, “It's the 'this is all my fault' look.” He tilted his head a little, stepping closer, pressing himself against Harry's frame. “It's not, you know.”

“You don't know that.” Harry said, unable to hide the agitation in his tone. He still hadn't moved. His hands were still firmly shoved into his pockets, refusing to budge. But none of that seemed to deter Cisco any. “When has something like this not been due to Thawne?” Cisco sighed, shaking his head.

“Harry, you're not Thawne. Even if this is because of him, that doesn't make it your fault. We've talked about this. When are you going to let it sink in?” Ramon chided, grabbing Harry's wrists and tugging his hands out of his pockets, then grabbing his hips again. Harry responded by letting out a slow breath and finally resting his hands on Cisco's shoulders, thumbs sliding onto the skin of Cisco's neck. “Look, I'm okay. As far as shitty stuff goes, this could have been a whole lot worse. Wally will find Camila and we'll get some answers. Until then, it doesn't do any good to guess what the reasons are. I'm okay, man. You're okay.” Cisco smiled softly. “ _We_ are okay.... okay?”

“Yes. Just... stop saying 'okay.'” Harry narrowed his gaze, but leaned forward as Cisco chuckled, and he kissed his forehead lightly, before pulling him in completely, hugging his arms around him. He felt Cisco's whole body ease into him, a warm sigh penetrating the material of Harry's shirt. 

“So, what now?” He asked, and for a moment Harry didn't answer. He glanced at his watch. It was nearly midnight. 

“We should probably sleep, too.” He said lightly, letting Cisco move out of his hold. “Although I'm not sure we should go back to the apartment.” 

Wally had called earlier, saying their place had been broken into. The alarm was going off and the door jam had been busted. Nothing was stolen, and Eureka hadn't gotten out. So there was that. But it had probably been Camila's doing. She wasn't at her apartment, not at her work. Wally shut off the alarm, fixed the door and promised to keep looking for her first thing in the morning. And though Harry didn't think she was too much of a threat, he wasn't about to take any chances with Cisco. They were safe at S.T.A.R. Labs. And there were beds in the makeshift guest rooms. Besides, it wouldn't be the first time they'd spent the night there. And it probably wouldn't be the last. As if reading his mind, Cisco grabbed his hand and shut off the light, pulling Harry into the Cortex and toward the hallway. 

Once they'd settled into a room, their boots off, Harry's contacts removed, lights out, curled up very close in a twin size bed, Cisco let out a very deep seated sigh. Harry's chest was to his back, his arms completely folded around his husband, and he squeezed lightly. “You alright?” He asked, his voice breaking the relative quiet. Cisco didn't answer right away, fingers stroking the hair on Harry's arm rhythmically. 

“I owe you, ya know.” He finally said, and Harry found himself furrowing his brows in the dark before pushing himself up on one arm and scooting back enough to turn Cisco onto his back. Then he reached across and tapped his fingers on the shade of the touch lamp on the small table beside the bed. Dim light cascaded around them, bathing over the barely furnished room. 

“No. You don't.” He said firmly then, meeting Cisco's gaze. Ramon sighed, turning a bit more to better face Harry.

“I was out of my mind. I mean... what I put you through this past week? Not once did you lose it or walk away or get angry at me when anyone else literally would have. I'm so sorry, for all of it.” Cisco frowned lightly, but nodded. “So yeah, I owe you one.” Harry shook his head stiffly, resting his hand on Cisco's chest.

“You don't owe me anything. We're not keeping score, Ramon. You're there for me, I'm there for you. That's how this works. How it's always worked. And I don't plan on that changing.” He let the conviction of his words meet his tone, and watched Cisco's face sober to a soft, almost adoring expression. 

“You make it really hard to show gratitude.” Cisco said warmly. And Harry just smiled.

“Part of my charm.” He said, watching Cisco's eyes roam his face. “I mean it, though, Ramon. No keeping score on what's important. I don't want that to ever be a requirement in our relationship.” Cisco seemed to agree, because he didn't protest any further and he seemed content with the idea that the give and take was equal without keeping a running tally. But as Harry watched the thoughts filter in Cisco's chocolate hues, something mischievous spread across Ramon's features.

“Okay, so...” He pushed up onto his elbows, sitting up and forcing Harry to do the same. “When it comes to the important stuff, we don't keep score. But what about... the other stuff?”

“What other stuff?” Harry asked blandly, confusion playing on his features. His question only made Cisco smile. And then suddenly Cisco's hand was between Harry's legs, massaging. Harry felt his chest just stop working for a split second, then he forced the air out of his lungs.

“Didn't think I'd forget, did ya?” Cisco whispered, leaning into Harry, soft and plush lips very close. “You said I could have at ya later, remember?”

“I remember.” Harry said, voice thick and quiet, knowing. 

“Well, this I definitely owe you.” Ramon replied with a smile before catching Harry's mouth with his own. A press of lips, a slow moving kiss and Cisco's hand eagerly and steadily massaging Harry's steadily hardening dick through his jeans made for a suddenly very at ease Harrison Wells. Intimacy with Cisco Ramon was a comfort all its own. It took Harry out of his head, gave him a peace he couldn't put words to, reminded him how lucky he was to be wanted like this, loved this much. 

It wasn't important, the sex. Honestly, Harry could live without it if Cisco needed him to. Sure, it was a great plus. And though it was the act that started their whole relationship, Harry didn't see it as the foundation. Who they were to each other, what they were for each other, that was what was really important. That being said, their connection, that level of care showed even more in the time they put aside to be intimate, bled through in the way they held each other, touched each other, kissed each other. There was no greed, no taking without offering something in return. Which was probably why it always made Harry feel worlds better. Not so much because of the physical aspects, but what they put into them, making each time unique and memorable.

Sure, getting Cisco off in the company kitchen earlier hadn't been anything more than helping Ramon get a very badly needed hormonal release, thanks to the nanobots. But Harry would remember that, too. Because he'd been able to help his husband, even if it hadn't been particularly romantic or classy. The fact that Ramon remembered it, and wanted to 'return the favor', made Harry inwardly happy. Because it wasn't about keeping score. It was about returning the love given. An endless loop between the two of them that would hopefully never break.

They spent nearly two hours pleasing each other, Harry making damn sure to make Cisco a trembling, loud mess. And Cisco doing everything he could to make Harry's brain all but useless. By the time they'd completely used each other up, the room was a little too warm and they were both beyond tired. But Harry didn't close his eyes just yet. He was blinking lazily at the ceiling, all blankets discarded, Cisco's naked form completely draped over him, his head settled against Harry's sternum. And Harry had his arms wrapped around him comfortably, breathing steadily, Cisco's body rising and falling with each breath. He'd already shut the light off, a sliver of light beneath the door now the only glow except for what was coming from his own eyes, though that wasn't a glow that really penetrated anything beyond his eyelids. The air conditioner had kicked on moments ago, the soft hum through the ventilation system automatically working to adjust the temperature in the stuffy room. 

Cisco seemed to notice that Harry wasn't really relaxing just yet, and he lifted his head, just enough to settle his chin on Harry's chest. He reached up with one hand, tracing a line around the laugh lines of Harry's left eye. “I'll never get over how gorgeous your eyes are now.”

“Now?” Harry quipped, turning his gaze to see Ramon smirk. 

“Jackass.” Cisco chirped, pushing himself up a bit to place a warm, hot breath filled kiss onto Harry's lips. When he pulled away, he stayed hovered just over Harry, hair tumbled and messy as hell after their latest romp. 

“We should go away for awhile.” Harry suddenly said, and blinked at his own words. But he didn't take them back. He just clenched his jaw, squeezed his lips shut, let the words stay floating between them for Cisco to use. Ramon slowly raised both brows.

“Away...” Cisco repeated, then reached over and tapped the light on, making Harry blink a little against the light as Ramon sat completely up, straddling Harry's slight sweat dampened form. “I mean... as much as I would love that, we just can't pick up and go.” He frowned a little. Harry frowned right along with him, smoothing his hands up Cisco's bare thighs.

“And why not?” He demanded, “Everyone else does. And we don't complain. We take the extra work and run with it. We haven't had any real 'us' time since Atlantis.” The honeymoon had been amazing, fantastic, everything they'd needed. It hadn't lasted nearly long enough as far as Harry had been concerned. But they hadn't done anything since. They didn't go away for weekends, they didn't do date nights. They just worked and settled for what little alone time they could get. So why couldn't they go away for a little while? When everyone got back, why couldn't they just pick up and leave for a week? A week with no metas, no work, no one but each other... shit, that sounded like heaven. 

Ramon seemed to be concentrating, thinking hard on what little Harry had said. He reached up and attempted to run a hand through his tangled locks but gave up halfway through. “Where?” He finally asked, hand falling. Harry felt a sudden pulse of excitement. Was he really considering it?

“Anywhere but here.” Harry replied quickly, sitting up without Cisco spilling from his lap. He held on firmly to Ramon's ribs, their faces inches apart. “As long as it's just you and me, I could care less where we go or what we do. But we need to. We deserve it. We deserve to be a little selfish for a change.” Cisco slipped his arms over Harry's shoulders, lazily hanging his hands behind his husband. And a slow, deliberate smile played on his warm lips. 

“Alright. Let me do some research. We'll leave as soon as Barry and Iris get back. Just the two of us. No distractions.” Cisco's words had an instant affect on Harry because he was suddenly grinning, and he kissed Cisco so thoroughly that even though they were both tired from what they'd already done to each other, they easily found themselves at it all over again.

When they eventually allowed themselves sleep, Harry was so thoroughly exhausted, sore and content that no amount of thinking would keep him awake this time. After everything they'd been through, everything that had been done to them, all the changes and mayhem and pain, a vacation was exactly what they needed. Harry was sure of it. But for tonight, they'd sleep. And come tomorrow, they'd deal with Camila. They weren't off the hook just yet. One thing was for sure, however. In a little over one week, come hell or high water, he and Cisco would be out the damn door and on their way to much needed respite. Metas, Thawne and everything else be damned. 

* * * 

When Camila Riley first ran into Harrison Wells at Jitters, it had been both a shock and a revelation.

She'd been pretty damn proud of herself for playing it so cool. The idea that this scientific genius of a man, who was supposed to be dead or in jail or whatever, had been standing right there in front of her had nearly given her a heart attack. Add to that, of course, the fact that she'd smeared cream cheese all over him and she should have lost her shit entirely. But she'd kept her cool, put on her bedroom eyes and flirted the best way she knew how. To say he seemed entirely unfazed by her attempts was an understatement, however. Perhaps his old reputation as a womanizer wasn't as on the money as she'd read. She'd watched from a distance as he tossed her number into the trash on his way out the door, and it made her admittedly a little angry. Not because he wasn't attracted to her, she could care less about that. But because her suddenly blossoming plan would have to take in account tracking him down.

The plan wasn't one she'd simply come up with. Parts of it had been in the works for nearly five years. Her nanotech compound, using retrofitted enhancement tech to manipulate and control emotions, had been turned down by every company she'd pitched them to. It infuriated her. How did no one see the benefits of this? Of soldiers unafraid of battle or people with anger issues losing that anger entirely? How did they not see the benefit of being able to get rid of depression and anxiety completely? Inhumane, they said. Immoral. Well, fuck them. They'd never lost a sister to suicide. 

It was Darla's death that had spurred her on to create her Hormonal and Emotional Inhibitor Nanotechnology. H.E.I.N., for short. Not the greatest acronym, but she could figure out a better one later. Darla had been plagued with depression of one sort or another most of her young adult life. Medication and counseling never seemed to help. And then one day, Darla was happy. One day, Darla was smiling and told Camila she loved her. That night, Darla slit her wrists in the bath tub. Her death changed everything.

But no one in the scientific community would take Camila seriously.

Which was why running into Harrison Wells was both a miracle and a godsend. If anyone could see the beauty and gift of her creation, it would be him. But everything she'd read said he was a man who liked action, visible results, not just diagrams and simulations. He'd want proof, of the tech's entire range of uses. So, she'd give him proof. Hard to denounce, real and felt proof. She just needed to find him first. Staking out S.T.A.R. Labs never seemed to work out for her. She still had to work to support herself, so finding the right time to actually catch the man coming and going didn't seem to align with her schedule. He also didn't seem to keep real hours. The guy was a workaholic. 

The next step was figuring out where he lived, which was a whole lot harder than it should have been. He wasn't listed anywhere. The only Wells she found record of having any sort of residence was a Richard H. Wells. Funny enough, it turned out to be him. He must have changed his name. But she never saw him go in or out. The only man she ever saw was Cisco Ramon. The long haired man looked beyond exhausted and worried, for nearly three months straight. And even so, he hardly stayed very long at the apartment. It made her wonder where Wells had gotten to, and what Ramon was even doing there. She got her answer when she followed Ramon to Jitters one very early morning and heard him refer to 'Harry' as his husband. Interesting. Nothing she'd ever read about the man said anything about him pitching for the other team. But no matter. 

At that point, she figured if she was ever going to catch up with Wells, she'd have to meet him in his own territory. She took out a loan, she saved money, till eventually she was able to get a modest apartment in the same building. It wasn't much compared to where she had been living. It was a tiny studio, but she would live in a cardboard box to get the results she wanted. About the time she'd completely moved in was about the time Wells showed up again. Only he seemed different from when she'd first run into him at Jitters. Harder, somehow. There was a strain around his eyes, a tension in his body that radiated ill ease for quite awhile. It wasn't till she saw that tension was gone that she decided to make her move, sometime after that Maggie girl moved in. A girl that very much reminded Camila of Darla. So much so that she nearly broke down into tears when she first saw her. It was an unexpected twist to the whole story, a hitch in the plan she hadn't counted on. Of course, it wouldn't be the only wrench in the works, apparently.

She'd made her move at Jitters, when Wells was alone. He seemed so much calmer than she'd ever remembered witnessing, and took it as a good sign. The better his mood, the better chances of the experiment working. Striking up a conversation with him had been surprisingly natural and honestly nice. He was very intelligent, far more than even his biography had said. And there was an intensity to him, like he was a predator that knew damn well he was sitting in a room full of sheep who had no clue they should be afraid of him. 

They talked casually about a few things, like science and the neighborhood they both now lived in. He seemed to just be amusing her for the most part, being friendly because it was what the situation called for. Not to mention there was no hint of attraction for her. He genuinely didn't see her as an option, physically or otherwise. Which was almost refreshing. She didn't have an ego, but she knew she was good looking and often thwarted men's advances. To have a man with an air about him like Harrison Wells _not_ want to hit on her was new. Then again, the man was married, right? He must really love Ramon. As a whole, the encounter almost made her feel bad for intentionally dosing him against his will. But the plan was the plan. And she wasn't about to deviate now.

She'd been watching, waiting for the signs of what was sure to be one hell of an emotional breakdown from Wells. Only when she saw the first hints of emotional upheaval, it wasn't from Wells at all. It was in Cisco Ramon. Honestly, she should have felt terrible about it. But it might just be a godsend. This way, Wells could see the affects close up with a clear mind. She could almost kick herself for not having thought of it sooner. Sometimes, happenstance was a good thing. 

Only now she was faced with another problem. The two men spent so little time at home, and were safe behind the security and technology of S.T.A.R. Labs. She couldn't get close enough to use her controller to switch the signals on the nanobots. She wasn't able to control Ramon's moods the way she should have been. So, as they were programmed, the bots worked of their own accord trying to manipulate his hormones and emotions to settle them as they saw fit. But Ramon was so damn well rounded, apparently, that the bots couldn't decide on one extreme or the other. Koodos to Ramon for being so emotionally stable. But damn him for it, too. 

Eventually, she had no way of stopping the bots at all from a distance. And now, at six o'clock in the bloody morning, she was sitting in the parking lot of S.T.A.R. Labs wondering if she should just march in and declare herself the perpetrator and explain what the experiment was for. Wells would have to listen. By now, he had to have figured out what was going on. The man was a genius in every sense of the word. The people he worked with were geniuses, too. There was no way they hadn't put two and two together. Which also meant that by now he was trying to figure out how to deactivate them. He'd probably want to try an EMP. But she was smart, too. She'd designed the bots with electromagnetic shielding. No EMP would shut them down. Only a kill code would deactivate them now. And for that, Wells was going to need her. 

She let out a slow sigh, grabbing her control tablet off the dashboard and clutching it to her chest with one hand before getting out of her car and heading toward the double main doors of S.T.A.R. Labs. It was time to make history, whether Harrison Wells wanted to or not. Or at least that was her train of thought just before strong hands grabbed her and the world was suddenly moving far too fast for comfort...

* * *

Harry found a great deal of satisfaction in the fear on Camila Riley's face as Wally, in full Kid Flash garb, suddenly deposited her in front of them inside the Cortex. They'd been up for over an hour, despite the lack of a full night's sleep, thanks to Joe informing them that CCPD had gotten a hit on her car on a security camera, her vehicle headed for S.T.A.R. Labs in the far too early morning. Caitlin had arrived about thirty minutes ago, and once Wally showed up, it was as simple as grab the woman and run. 

If only all things could be so simple.

“K-kid Flash?!” She stammered, clutching the tablet she had in her hands for dear life, eyes wide as she watched Wally step back and cross his arms over his chest without a word. It was Caitlin who spoke up first, catching the redheaded woman's attention instantly.

“We're not going to hurt you.” She said, and Harry had to fight the urge to protest. Okay, sure. He wouldn't actually hurt the woman. But he wanted her to pay for what she'd done to Cisco. Which, they'd agreed, fell under the authority of Joe West, who was on his way to collect her. That didn't mean they couldn't get answers first. Because, if anything else, answers were more than warranted at this point.

“I...” She swallowed, eyes still wide as she glanced from Caitlin to the tall and brooding Harry, examining his arms crossed over his chest, the tight lines on his face, the tension everywhere in his body. It only made her clutch the tablet even harder, till her eyes moved to Cisco, who had stepped up beside Harry and put a soothing hand on his lower back. For a moment, confusion crossed her delicate features. Then her brows furrowed deeply. “You look fine.” She stated almost flatly at Cisco. “Why?” She lowered her tablet, swiping her hand across the screen. It was Wally who moved fast enough to snatch it from her. “Hey!” She yelped, then clamped her mouth shut, looking back at Harry. “You shut them off! How?!” She raised her voice, taking a step toward the two men. 

“You don't get to ask the questions here, lady.” Cisco stated, motioning at her with one hand. She blinked at him, shock playing on her face.

“You hacked them, you found the kill code.” She nearly whispered, sounding completely betrayed, which was amusing to say the least. Harry raised a brow, taking a step toward her and dropping his hands. The moment he did, she seemed to shrink in on herself slightly, but she didn't take her eyes off of him. 

“He's good like that.” Harry said, hovering over her, doing his best to keep his anger from seething out. “You, on the other hand,” he studied her face, “Are either really stupid, or delusional.” Yeah, he wasn't exactly being nice. But he didn't care till Cisco's hand found its way to his back again. He let out a deep breath. “Now would be the time to explain what this whole shitfest was about.” He said through gritted teeth, hands clenched at his sides. 

“Shitfest?” She whispered, then anger spread across her face in a heartbeat. “Proof! It was about proof! About making important scientific advancements in the field of mental healthcare!” She rallied at him, bringing her fists up and smacking him in the chest as hard as she could. He stepped back into Cisco. “You think it's a shitfest?!” She practically screeched. Well, that was quite the reaction. He had to bring his hands up and grab her wrists hard to keep her from continuously slamming her fists into him. She struggled, hard. And he knew she was going to bruise from his grip, but she wasn't giving him much of a choice.

“Cut it out! Stop it, Riley!” Cisco demanded, coming up behind her and attempting to hold her in place. Eventually, she stopped, tears streaming down her face, breathing heavily. 

“No one...” she hung her head, “No one sees.” And she fell to her knees, Harry letting her wrists go as she did. Cisco guided her down but then let her go and backed up. Everyone just stood there feeling strangely stunned and unsure. What the hell? Eventually, she lifted her head and looked straight up at Harry with wet eyes. She didn't say a word. But her expression... it stilled something inside of him. He knew that look. It was despair and desperation, it was defeat and the complete loss of hope. He felt himself sighing, then he moved forward and crouched before her, meeting her somewhat face to face.

“Tell me.” He said, his raspy voice making her blink. At first she didn't seem to understand what he was saying, but then she let out a shuddered breath and sat back on her feet. The next twenty minutes were spent listening to her sob story. And though that was a really indelicate way of putting it, Harry couldn't really help but view it that way. Inwardly, he was ecstatic that this had nothing to do with Thawne for a change. But that didn't mean he was any less perturbed by what Cisco had been forced to experience. By the time she was finished with her tale, she was sitting on a stool in the middle of the room, everyone standing around her. Harry took in a deep breath, letting it out slow. 

“That's how science works, Riley.” Harry stated, her tired eyes watching him as he continued. “You jump through hundreds of hoops till you get the right ears to listen, you fail and fail and fail again. You pick yourself up and move on to the next opportunity till someone sees the worth of what you're trying to do. Being desperate? That's part of the game.” He ran a hand through his hair for a moment, stepping sideways and glancing at Cisco. He motioned his hand at his husband then. “But what you did here?” He looked back at her. “That's mad science at best. That's defying the very purpose of science.” She began to look downcast, as though he hadn't understood anything she'd said. “I know...” he stated, snapping his fingers at her till she looked at him again, “I know what pain, what loss can make a person do. It can twist us, make us lose sight of what's right. Your ideas... they're not without merit. But science fulfills its purpose when it explains the laws of our own lives, and the consequence of violating those laws. I learned that the hard way.” He sighed deeply. “I suppose now you have, too.”

“I just... I wanted to keep what happened to Darla from happening... to anyone else.” She glanced at Cisco, letting out a shaken breath. “I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt anyone. I just... I needed my work to be seen, to be experienced. I needed someone to know that it was worth more than a rejection letter.”

“It is worth more than that.” Cisco replied, putting a hand onto her shoulder. “Look, how you went about things was seriously messed up. I mean, seriously.” He emphasized. “But I'm okay. And no one was really hurt. But you gotta know, there are better ways than messing with nature.”

“Nature...” she shook her head, shutting her eyes, “Nature killed my sister.” She stood up, shrugging his hand off. “Nature gave her depression and twisted her into a tortured soul. I want to change nature. I want my bots to free people of depression and anger and anxiety and all the things that turn good people into victims.”

“You can't.” Caitlin said, shifting slightly on her feet. “People need those emotions to reinforce survival instincts, relationships, communication...” she motioned to Camila, “No one can function without them. Medications don't always work to dampen depression and anxiety, I understand that. But the brain is far too complex to simply shut off certain hormones or nervous tissue. Even if you could achieve that, anyone you did it to would cease to be who they are. You'd turn them into...” She paused, struggling to find the right word.

“Monsters.” Harry said easily. “Without the emotions that make us human, we're nothing but monsters.”

“That's not true...” Riley whispered, then cleared her throat. “I don't want to erase love and joy and all the better things. Just the negative!” 

“You're not listening.” Harry growled out. “Without hate, you can't have love. Without anger, you can't have joy. People were not meant to be one or the other. We' are all of those things, or we're nothing. That's why your sister killed herself. She was too much of the negative, not enough of the good.” Yeah, he really needed to work on being delicate. But he could do that later. Surprisingly, Camila didn't seem hurt or taken back by his words. Instead, she looked strangely thoughtful.

“That...” she paused, glancing from one person to the next before focusing back on Harry. “You're saying I shouldn't work on eradicating negative hormones and emotions, but boosting the good. Leveling things out.” Huh. Well, that wasn't exactly what he was referring to, but hell. If that was her take away, then all the power to her. 

“In a way, that's what medication tries to do. Antidepressants work by balancing neurotransmitters to affect mood and emotions. Level things out, like you said.” Caitlin explained. “But like I said, the brain is just... severely complex. There's still so much we don't know, and that's why they're not always useful. Harry's right, your work _does_ have merit, but something like what you want to achieve is still decades beyond us.”

“That doesn't mean you should give up. Continue researching, developing, working.” Cisco added, offering a light smile.

“Don't expect results today or tomorrow or five years from now. It will be a long haul, a process of hits and misses. But your work, someday, could lead to a breakthrough that could save lives.” Harry said, surprised by the gentleness in his voice. He couldn't be angry at her anymore, not really. Yeah, what she did was reckless and beyond stupid. But he understood her reasons. “In fact,” he slipped his hands into his pockets, “If you're willing to actually keep up with the work, to do the research and forget about changing the world so suddenly.... I'll put you in contact with Doctor Federo. Your theories might be presently unattainable, but I'm sure he would be very interested in having you on his team.”

“Doctor Abel Federo?” Camila's face blanched and her eyes got wide again. Doctor Federo was a leading authority in neuro research, and all aspects of it.

“That's what I said.” Harry grated. And her jaw practically dropped. He felt every eye in the room on him, a strange silence settling so hard, it practically invaded his bones. But he didn't take his eyes off the woman in front of him. He didn't want to see what everyone else was thinking. Because there was a time when his mistakes had changed the lives of hundreds. There was a time where his misguided notions of what science should do for him had nearly destroyed his life. Camila was young and stupid, but she could learn. She had potential. She could change now before her mistakes were like his had been, before she reached the point of no return.

“Why... why would you do that?” She whispered. “After everything I did... why would you help me?”

“Because.” Harry stated, forcing himself to look at Cisco who was watching him with that same familiarly soft, adoring expression on his face, “Even the misguided deserve a second chance.”

* * *

Joe never arrested Camila, at pretty much everyone's request. Harry kept his word, putting her in touch with Federo and making sure she had the resources she needed to get to Star City to start her life. Though not until she made a promise not to do anything stupid like all this again. A quick call was also made to Oliver, just in case. It would be good to have someone keep an eye on her for awhile.

It was late afternoon by the time she was gone and they had yet another meta to track down. If he hadn't been so relieved to have this whole Camila Riley business behind them, he might have been agitated about that. But honestly, he'd much rather taken on a horde of metas than deal with her anymore. Or at least that's what he told himself. Truthfully, he knew he'd helped her. Probably more than he helped most people. He would never claim to be insightful enough to handle emotionally fragile people on a regular basis, but he really thought that maybe he'd set Camila Riley on the right path. And that felt... good.

“Don't let this go to your head,” Cisco said, suddenly materializing beside him with a cup of coffee, sitting down and setting the mug in front of him, “But you're pretty amazing when you wanna be.”

“What makes you think that?” Harry smirked lightly, relaxing back in his rolling chair and picking up the mug, holding it near his nose to breathe in the aroma of the dark liquid. Cisco smiled lightly.

“I can already tell I'm going to regret saying anything.” He turned slightly sideways in his chair, meeting Harry's gaze. “But earlier, with Camila? You really surprised all of us.” Harry shrugged, taking a slow sip before setting the mug back down and glancing at the display before him, still set on the diagrams of Camila's nanobots. 

“Back on Earth 2...” he said softly, looking as Cisco rested his chin in one hand, “I truly believed I'd changed the world for the better. That I'd... furthered us in unlocking the mysteries of the universe. I hadn't actually planned on the particle accelerator exploding, not like Thawne had. But after, I took it as... something good. Something I could make use of.” He shook his head. “I was wrong, obviously. All my motives had been purely selfish, until Jesse was taken by Zoom.” Harry folded his hands in his lap, clenching his jaw momentarily. “Camila may have been wrong, too. But she was doing the wrong thing for the right reasons. Something I didn't manage to do until all the damage was done.”

“Harry...” Cisco started, but Harry reached out and gripped Cisco's knee warmly.

“It's okay, Ramon. I'm not dwelling. I'm just... I'm grateful.” He smiled lightly, “For you, for all this.” He motioned around him with one hand. “If a bastard like me can be given so many chances to be better, then someone like Camila Riley sure as hell deserves the same, if not more.” Cisco slowly smiled, then. And he scooted forward, dragging his chair with him till their knees were one after the other. Then he reached forward and grabbed Harry by the shirt with both hands, pulling him forward.

“You're not a bastard.” Cisco said, “You're an ass, sure. And you always have to be right. And you're annoying when you're right. And you're a jerk when you lose your temper. And you-”

“Ramon.” Harry grated out, narrowing his gaze. Cisco chuckled.

“But,” he pulled Harry closer, “You're a good man. I've always said it. And I'll always believe it. Cause that's why I love you.” He finished with a grin before finally kissing Harry tenderly. And Harry sighed into that kiss happily.

It amazed him sometimes how Cisco's reassurances could make him feel like maybe he wasn't as hopeless as he'd always believed he was. A lot of that had to do with Ramon, of course. The man saw so much in him that he would never see in himself. But it was those things that made Harry want to be better, not so much for his own benefit. But for Ramon's. And for Jesse. And for Maggie, too. He pushed himself every single day to be the man they deserved. He wasn't sure he'd ever actually get to that point, but he'd sure as hell die trying.

“Ugh, my eyes.” Wally said, as he entered the room, planting a hand over his face as Harry and Cisco pulled apart. 

“Problems with affection, West?” Harry asked, relaxing back in his chair and grabbing his cup up again. 

“Yes.” Wally mumbled, slowly dropping his hand. “I don't like watching people make out. Call it a pet peeve.”

“Barry and Iris make out around you all the time.” Cisco said with a grin, propping his feet up on the desk and crossing his arms as his chair tilted back a bit. 

“Yeah, and I hate it.” Wally smirked. “I'm headed out, you guys need anything before I split?”

“Naw.” Cisco said, glancing at Harry. “I think we're good.” Harry caught Ramon's stare and smiled a little.

“Yes. We are.” He added without looking at Wally, who just raised both brows and shook his head.

“Ugh, love.” He muttered before turning on his heel and speeding out the door, leaving both Harry and Cisco chuckling. 

Harry was sure, now more than ever, that of all the scientific, political and economical advancements that mankind could and would make, nothing would change the world like love could. As sappy as that sounded, he was living proof. Yes, it had taken time. Yes, he'd had to go through literal hell to find it. But love had changed his existence forever. And for him, that was proof more than anything else of how real its power was. 

Ugh. Love, indeed.

**Author's Note:**

> (To be continued...)


End file.
